virtualbox-export-and-import-ovf-open-virtualization-format
VBoxManage export winxp -o filename.ovf //the above will get the XML of the VM and the .vdi of the virt hd //NOTE you'll need enough free space for the virtual hard drive as well!
a 10GB vHD on a 2GHz dual core with 3GB RAM took about 14 mins produces a .ovf and a .vmdk
compresses the .vmdk about 40% (must be imported and uncompressed to be used)
VBoxManage import winxp.ovf --dry-run
Interpreting WindowsXp.ovf...
5: Sound card (appliance expects "ensoniq1371" 6: USB controller 7: Network adapter: orig bridged, config 2, extra type=bridged
To import a machine as described in the OVF but without the sound card or the USB controller, AND with the disk image connected to the IDE controller instead of the SCSI
VBoxManage import WindowsXp.ovf --vsys 0 --unit 5 --ignore --unit 6 --ignore --unit 11 --controller 10
//NOTE that when you import a vmdk it keeps the hd in vmdk formt //it takes about the same amount of time to import as export (about 15 mins?)
no config file or RAM (is that because of 2.2.4 from 2.2.2?) seems to be missing the vrdp settings
MAC address changes (is it because of eth1 changing to eth0)
My solution to get it all back in native Virtualbox format (better withstand future vbox upgrades and more info from showvminfo)
VBoxManage modifyvm vm-ts -name old-vm-ts
VBoxManage clonehd vm-ts-hd.vmdk vm-ts.vdi
Makes the same size hard drive!
vboxmanage modifyvm old-vm-ts -hda none???
VBoxManage modifyvm vm-ts -hda vm-ts.vdi
VBoxManage createvm -name vm-ts -register
VBoxManage modifyvm vm-ts -memory 824
vboxmanage modifyvm vm-ts -nictype1 82540EM
VBoxManage modifyvm vm-ts -vrdp on -vrdpport 33899
VBoxManage modifyvm vm-ts -nic1 bridged -bridgeadapter1 eth0
VBoxManage modifyvm vm-ts -nic2 bridged -bridgeadapter2 eth0
VBoxManage modifyvm vm-ts -hwvirtex on vboxmanage modifyvm vm-ts -bioslogofadein off -bioslogofadeout off
needs to be eth0 MAC 080027F2D3B0
Name: vm-ts Guest OS: Other/Unknown UUID: d56107c9-c8da-49ef-bca8-9a000ccbd722 Config file: /home/andmin/.VirtualBox/Machines/vm-ts/vm-ts.xml Memory size: 824MB VRAM size: 8MB Boot menu mode: message and menu ACPI: on IOAPIC: off PAE: off Time offset: 0 ms Hardw. virt.ext: off Nested Paging: off VT-x VPID: off State: powered off (since 2009-06-12T20:44:18.000000000) Monitor count: 1 3D Acceleration: off Floppy: empty SATA: disabled IDE Controller: PIIX4 Primary master: /home/andmin/.VirtualBox/HardDisks/vm-ts-hd (UUID: a9c73da1-2d2b-42da-82dc-9017c5aa8000) DVD: empty NIC 1: MAC: 08002772171D, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'eth1', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: 82540EM, Reported speed: 0 Mbps NIC 2: MAC: 080027C4C4DC, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'eth1', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps
UART 1: disabled UART 2: disabled Audio: disabled (Driver: Unknown, Controller: Unknown) Clipboard Mode: Bidirectional
VRDP: enabled (Address 0.0.0.0, Port 33899, MultiConn: off, ReuseSingleConn: off, Authentication type: null) USB: disabled
USB Device Filters: